Explosion rocks Wisconsin refinery, at least 5 hurt

A tank containing crude oil or asphalt exploded at a large refinery in Wisconsin on Thursday, injuring several people and causing a blast that one worker described as sounding like a sonic boom.

No fatalities have been reported, but at least five people have been taken to hospitals in Duluth, Minnesota, following the explosion at the Husky Energy oil refinery at about 10 a.m., Superior Fire Chief Steve Panger told The Associated Press.

Panger didn't have details about the extent of their injuries. Others were walking wounded.

A series of explosions and fires rocked the Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior Thursday, sending a black plume of acrid smoke across the city and sending several people to local hospitals.

At least 11 people were confirmed injured in hospitals in Duluth and Superior, one with a serious blast injury, Essentia Health and St. Luke’s hospital officials reported.

No details were available on the extent of refinery damage or what caused the initial explosion which occurred just after 10 a.m. But a second, larger fire erupted just after noon with multiple explosions, sending another thick, black cloud for miles.

Evacuation ordered
By early afternoon a north wind gusting to 20 mph appeared to be fanning the flames and pushing the smoke mostly south.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office just after 1 p.m. ordered a broad evacuation for everyone within two miles to the north of the refinery and, because of the potential toxic nature of the smoke, were telling people who lived or worked within 10 miles south and three miles east and west evacuate to a safer area.

Many of Superiors main roads were clogged with traffic at early afternoon as residents tried to move away from the smoke plume. Residents who evacuate are suggested to gather at Four Corners Elementary School at 4465 East County Road B in the Town of Superior.

Superior school officials said all public school students in the city were evacuated to Amsoil headquarters at 1101 Susquehanna Ave.

Nearby businesses also were evacuating, including Superior Water, Light and Power and the Superior Family YMCA, gas stations and grocery stores. The Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College closed, cancelling all scheduled classes and events for the remainder of the day.

Superior Mayor Jim Paine said just after 1 p.m. he has reached out to Duluth Mayor Emily Larson to take in evacuees. Nick Alexander, Superior police chief, said the fire could continue to burn for two days or more.

A second wave of employees and contractors were rapidly leaving the scene after 12:30 p.m. as a series of seven or eight more explosions occurred at 12:40 p.m.

Earlier in the morning witnesses said they saw at least seven ambulances enter the facility and several already have left, with helicopter ambulances also shuttling to and from the refinery to the Richard I. Bong Airport in Superior.

Douglas County Deputy Medical Examiner Paul Stein told the News Tribune at noon that he heard there are 20 total injuries but no fatalities.

Contractors at scene of blast
Eric Mathews, a boilermaker for Wales, Wis.-based CTS Inc. contractors working inside the refinery, said he was about 200 yards away on break when the blast occurred.

It was like “a big sonic boom and rattled your brain,” Mathews told the News Tribune. “I was running and then the debris started falling out of the air... I stopped under a pipe rack then waited for the debris to stop falling.”

Mathews said most or all of his fellow contractors were on break, in blast-proof shelters at the scene, when the explosion occurred.

“The really lucky part is that it happened during our break so all of our people were in blast shacks,” Mathews said.

Another contractor walking out of the scene said he thought he was “going to die.”

News Tribune photographer Bob King, who flew over the site in an airplane on two different occasions, said one of the large, white storage tanks at the refinery was fractured and that a thick black liquid was pouring out onto the ground.

King said the smoke plume “smelled like burning rubber.”

Passersby and people nearby said they felt an explosion rock buildings up to a mile away.

“It felt like a bomb,” said Katey Geistfeld, who works at the Challenge Center at the nearby Mariner Mall. “Everything kind of shook.”

Employees of the refinery and multiple contractors working in the facility were evacuated and staging on Hill Avenue which was blocked off to traffic.

“It shook the houses all over. They felt it at Belknap Plaza. … Tons of people were trying to get down there. They should be staying out,” said Mark Androsky, owner of Stadium Towing who was watching from just outside the refinery. Androsky was using his wrecker to block traffic at one point to allow emergency vehicles to enter. “They had people evacuating, a lot of the contactors. They are trying to get upwind of the smoke.”

Superior police has asked people to stay away from the area.

“I’ve seen at least eight ambulances go in there … and six fire trucks,’’ Androsky said.

City prepared
The mayor said city agencies have trained for disasters at the facility.

“This community is aware we have an oil refinery. We’re prepared for this. We’ve done extensive training,’’ Paine said. “We’ve invested in equipment and infrastructure. We probably have the best fire department in the country to respond to an event like this.”

State Rep. Rick Milroy issued a statement that today’s “disaster at the refinery in Superior has left everyone with a deep sense of worry and heavy hearts for all of the workers and families involved. Like most Superiorites, I have a lot close friends who work at the pant. Injuries have been reported, but thank God that no fatalities have been reported. I ask that everyone keep all of the workers, first responders, and their families in their prayers as they secure the facility and get the injured medical attention.”

Mel Duvall, manager of media and issues for Calgary-based Husky Energy, said he had no information on where inside the refinery the initial explosion occurred.

“We’ll have more information as it becomes available,” he told the News Tribune.

Refinery had past violations
In 2015 the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Calumet $21,000 over emergency response and flammable liquids violations. Those violations were marked as settled and the problems solved by the end of that year.

It was the only OSHA enforcement action taken against the refinery in the past 20 years, according to a search of the agency’s database.

In 2012 and 2013 there were four reports of hydrogen sulfide releases due to power outages, according to the National Response Center.

The refinery has not been fined over hazardous waste since 1999, according to the Environmental Protection Agency

The refinery’s most recent Risk Management Plan was submitted in 2012 and states: “In the unlikely event of a catastrophic release, the refinery, working in conjunction with local emergency management staff, is well prepared to respond and mitigate adverse consequences to the community or the environment.”

Husky took over in 2017
Husky Energy concluded its purchase of the refinery in November, spending $492 million to acquire the refinery from Calumet. Husky said there were no changes planned for the facility but was planning to continue a $30 million upgrade started by Calumet.

About 180 people are employed at Wisconsin’s sole refinery, which provides the Northland with gasoline, asphalt and other specialty petroleum products. About 50,000 barrels — or 2.3 million gallons — of oil per day can be processed at the refinery, located at 2407 Stinson Ave.

Along with the refinery, Husky took control of two asphalt terminals and two product terminals, a marine terminal, 3.6 million barrels in storage and a marketing business.

The Superior refinery was built in 1950, acquired by Murphy Oil in 1958 and sold to Indianapolis-based Calumet for $475 million in 2011.

Check back for updates.

News Tribune reporters Brooks Johnson, Jimmy Lovrien, Jana Hollingsworth and Peter Passi and Superior Telegram reporter Maria Lockwood contributed to this story.

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